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Sacramento Home Sellers: What Happens if Your Lockbox Fails?

By Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker

Real Estate Agent with Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker DRE #00697006

February 22, 2009 01:59 AM

Last week an agent called because she could not gain access to conduct a home inspection on one of my vacant short sale listings. The sellers had already moved out of town. Usually I try to get an extra key from my sellers, just in case an agent breaks a key in the lock, but I had no extra key for this listing.

She told me the lockbox wouldn't open. Do you know what happens when a Supra lockbox in Sacramento fails? I didn't, so I called the Sacramento Board of Realtors. (Our lockboxes sell for $115 each, so they're not cheap to replace.)

The Board said I would need to first cut the lockbox off the door. Hmmm . . . I wondered if the home had an exterior receptacle to accommodate an extension cord to power my reciprocating saw. I wondered if I had a steel blade for my reciprocating saw. Perhaps I would need to stop at Home Depot and buy a new blade?

Then I would need to take the lockbox to MetroList, which is located in Natomas, and get MetroList to drill out the box containing the key. Once I had the key out of the lockbox, I was then to take the lockbox to the Sacramento Board of Realtors, which would replace it for free. Then, take the new lockbox back to the home in Citrus Heights and attach it.

I mapped out my travels on Google to figure out how much driving time this little project would entail. Seemed like it would be easier to simply call a locksmith, meet at the home and rekey the door. I looked up the phone number of my favorite locksmith and was about to dial when I thought, no, think I'll call back the agent who couldn't get in and get some more information.

I asked the agent to explain exactly what happened when the lockbox failed and whether she received an error code. Yes, she received an error code, and it said, "Sync display key." Turned out the agent could not enter her password into her display key because her display key was malfunctioning. It wasn't the lockbox at all!

The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, coming June 2009.

Photo: Elizabeth Weintraub, Sacramento Supra Lockboxes

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Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker

Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA

Put 40 years of experience to work for you

Hi Pat: I'm so quick to react to try to fix problems that I find it helps to rethink the situation before plowing ahead.

Hi Sheldon: Hey, don't think it didn't cross my mind that I might accidentally slice a big ol' hole in the door. LOL. And yes, the person at the Board said it so nonchalantly, like we all carry reciprocating saws in our car trunks. I'm betting most people don't even OWN a reciprocating saw. Of course, I do . . . it was a present to myself.

Hi Gabe: Our bottom key drawers sometimes stick, especially in rainy weather. What some agents don't know is there is a small rubber tab on the bottom of the Supra box. So if it sticks, just grab the tab after pushing in and pull.

Hi Mary: Well, getting out the power tools is never a waste of time for me. I LOVE power tools.

Feb 22, 2009 03:07 AM

Alan May

Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL

Home is where the hearth is.

wouldn't it just be easier to remove the door knob, and then take the lock box to the board. (if indeed the box was faulty)... rather than using a saw on the box?

Feb 22, 2009 03:21 AM

Krista Fuchs

Prudential Fox & Roach - Exton, PA

Chester County Realtor - (484) 459-8025 - Home Buying and Selling

Phew! So glad you didn't do all that work before you called the agent back! and what a lesson to learn about getting a copy of the key that's in the lockbox...definitely going on my checklist!

Feb 22, 2009 03:26 AM

Scott Cowan

RE/MAX Professionals - Olympia, WA

Elizabeth- Great... I'm mechanically impaired... now you've scared me to put another lock box on any of my properties!! LOL.... wow what a potential pain. I'm glad that they replace the boxes for free. I wonder if they do that when the internal batteries finally give up the fight?

Best,

Scott

Feb 22, 2009 03:31 AM

Terry & Bonnie Westbrook

Westbrook Realty Broker-Owner - Grand Rapids, MI

Westbrook Realty - Grand Rapids Forest Hills MI Re

We have sentilock and I get call once in a while that agents can't get into my keybox and more times than not is is the key not the box . Good to check things out before you spent all that time and effort.

Feb 22, 2009 04:17 AM

Barbara S. Duncan

RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR

GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

What a funny story and well written. You didn't even blast the agent who didn't know what the message meant!! I have never had one of our boxes to malfunction but sometimes agents stuff the whole key and keyring up in the box and can cause it to jam.

Feb 22, 2009 04:52 AM

Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400

HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD

Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Elizabeth, With our Sentri, agents can get their cards updated at the box...or they can call and get a one day showing code without a key card. So can contractors etc. So far we have been pleased wtih this new lockbox system.

I always have a locksmith on stand by who has saved me many times. ( Have a friend who is pretty handy with a credit card...JK)

Feb 22, 2009 05:07 AM

Bob & Carolin Benjamin

Benjamin Realty LLC - Gold Canyon, AZ

East Phoenix Arizona Homes

If an agent said the box did not work -- would always suggest trying it ones-self to see if it could be opened and if so , then assume "agent error" and not lock box error. Ugh , sawing off the box , does not sound like fun.

Feb 22, 2009 05:40 AM

Paula Swayne

Dunnigan, Realtors, Sacramento (916) 425-9715 - Sacramento, CA

Realtor-Land Park, East Sac & Curtis Park -Dunniga

Hi Elizabeth!
I tried to get into a house the other day and the lockbox wouldn't open...until the 3rd try. The same thing happened in West Sac but it was like there was no communication at all. I had my daughter come out and hers worked. Mine worked the same day on another property, so who knows? I think maybe they are getting to the end of their natural life.

Feb 22, 2009 06:35 AM

Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker

Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA

Put 40 years of experience to work for you

Hey Alan: I thought about removing the door knob, but I would have called a locksmith to do that, plus have to pay for a new door knob. In that case, well, it's easier just to rekey, leaving the box where it is and attaching another box. :)

Hi Scott: The new lockboxes have such a long life -- they'll go to another system before the boxes wear out, heh, heh.

Hi Margaret: If our lockboxes aren't updated, we have the ability to update them onsite by calling Supra. It has a recording that tells you if you mess up the input code, you're out of luck. I imagine Supra got tired of agents calling a dozen times because they didn't write down or input the code correctly.

Hi Bob: I can tell you from personal experience it takes a long time to saw off a lockbox.

Hi Paula: You want to know why your display key didn't work? I have it on good authority that when it rains in Sacramento, it knocks out cell phone towers and display keys. Weird weather will do that.

Feb 22, 2009 08:44 AM

Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL

Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL

Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

Oh, now I know the difference between us. I would go and cut the key and then ask the agent what actually happened (LOL)

Feb 22, 2009 08:49 AM

Chris Ann Cleland

Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA

Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Elizabeth: I soooo miss our Supra boxes. This new Sentrilock system we have in our market is driving everyone mad. The cards (what in Supra's system is the ekey) seem to have a high failure rate, as do the card readers. The lockboxes and card are cheaper, but I don't see the quality I did with Supra. Worked in that system for 4 years....never saw a failure...ekey or lockbox. One month into Sentrilock and I'm seeing agents who have already replaced their cards twice, and card readers mutliple times.

Feb 22, 2009 09:25 AM

Myrl Jeffcoat

Sacramento, CA

Greater Sacramento Realtor - Retired

Elizabeth - I've never had a lockbox to fail. But my key has had issues a couple of times. Usually, MetroList can remedy it over the phone, but once my lockbox key needed to be replaced! I would hate to think of going through all the steps you described to remove an actual lockbox off of a property! Aaaaargh!

Feb 22, 2009 10:04 AM

Tammy Lankford,

Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA

Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

We have supra lockboxes too and I did have an agent jam the bottom in backwards and hang it up. I could get the lockbox off because the shackle code worked even when the obtain key did not. I fortunately had an extra key and Supra replaced the lockbox for free when my MLS sent it in.

Feb 22, 2009 12:06 PM

Colleen Fischesser Northwest Property Shop

NextHome Experience - Chelan, WA

A Tradition of Trust in the Pacific NW since 1990!

Oh for petesake! She didn't sync her key? We use the same lockboxes and every now and then we'll have the drop down thingamajig get stuck. I hate when that happens!

Feb 23, 2009 02:43 AM

Colleen Fischesser Northwest Property Shop

NextHome Experience - Chelan, WA

A Tradition of Trust in the Pacific NW since 1990!

Oh for petesake! She didn't sync her key? We use the same lockboxes and every now and then we'll have the drop down thingamajig get stuck. I hate when that happens!

Feb 23, 2009 02:44 AM

Sharon Paxson

Sharon Paxson, Realtor® EQTY Forbes Global Properties - Newport Beach, CA

Newport Beach Real Estate

I guess you would have to cut it off, and that would be expensive. Perhaps the agent could have told you about the error message . . .

Feb 23, 2009 05:32 AM

Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker

Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA

Put 40 years of experience to work for you

Hi Jon: You always make me laugh. You know, my husband is like you. Always first to jump on solving a problem.

Hi Chris Ann: Oh, I see the writing on the wall. I sure hope we don't have to switch to Sentrilock any time soon, but if you moved from Supra to Sentrilock, it's probably inevitable that we will, too.

Hi Myrl: Display key batteries can wear out. I had to replace my display key about four years ago.

Hi Tammy: I wasn't even aware that you could jam the bottom box into the lockbox backwards. That agent must have had really strong hands.

Hi Colleen: Even if her key wasn't synced, she could sync it manually. I think it was the rainstorms that caused her display key to malfunction. She said it was synced, it just wouldn't let her enter a password, and then it gave her the sync display key error.

Hi Sharon: It's only expensive to cut off if I end up cutting off my fingers or the door itself.

Feb 23, 2009 07:57 AM

Wendy Rulnick

Rulnick Realty, Inc. - Destin, FL

"It's Wendy... It's Sold!"

Elizabeth - That is funny! If it were the lockbox, I wonder if bolt cutters would work. They worked on the old ones. I bought my husband bolt cutters as a "present" when I ran into a similar problem :)

Feb 23, 2009 01:24 PM

Lori Churchill Cofer

Beasley Realty - Pullman, WA

Realtor - 509-330-0086 - Pullman, WA

Elizabeth- Kind of a related story..but my very first showing was on a condo...got there early...and of course, the key part would NOT drop. I called the listing agent to see if they had another key...no such luck.

Now this lockbox was not attached to the door but sitting on the ground. I know to most of you this might seem rather odd but we live in a small town...and at the time the boxes were rented...

So anyway, the listing agent told me to hit it against the ground a couple of times. What a sight...this new agent pounding the #@#$# out of this lockbox in total desperation!!!! But it worked minutes before my client appeared!!!

Lori Cofer REALTOR Pullman WA